Disaster Victim Identification using Orthopedic Implants in the 2011 East-Japan Earthquake and Tsunami.

On March 11, 2011, an earthquake (magnitude 9.0) devastated Japan's east coast, and the associated tsunami resulted in social and mechanical destruction. Search for the missing people is still ongoing. Surgical implants are common in the general population. Medical implants usually have lot numbers, and their forensic use is common for victim identification. This investigation was conducted mainly in the cities of Kamaishi and Otsuchi, both of which were affected by the tsunami disaster in 2011. We visited 6 mortuaries with the police between March 20 (9 days after the tsunami) and April 20 (40 days after the tsunami) to examine the presence of surgical scars and related information. Unidentified human remains were investigated by visual and tactile examination. We also visited temples where the ashes were preserved. If implants were found, their lot numbers and estimated surgical procedures were recorded to determine positive identification. Ten of 233 sets of unidentified human remains before cremation displayed characteristics of a potential past surgical history. However, only 2 of these 233 sets had orthopedic implants. Instead, non-combustible orthopedic implants were found and recognized in 8 of the 331 sets of unidentified human ashes in the temples after cremation; the lot numbers were fully legible in 2 of the 8 sets. We estimated the surgical procedures, which led to positive identification. In conclusion, lot numbers and the surgical knowledge of orthopedic surgeons could assist with the positive identification of disaster victims. However, the relevant information can be erased after cremation.

Clinical factors associated with classical symptoms of aortic valve stenosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The recognition of clinical symptoms is critical to a therapeutic strategy for aortic valve stenosis (AS). It was hypothesized that AS symptoms might have multiple causes; hence, a study was conducted to investigate the factors that separately influence the classic symptoms of dyspnea, angina and syncope in AS. METHODS: The medical records of 170 consecutive patients with AS (> or = moderate grade) were reviewed. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the hemodynamic and clinical factors that separately influence the development of three clinical symptoms: dyspnea (defined as NYHA class > or = 2), angina, and syncope. RESULTS: The most common symptom was dyspnea (47.1%), followed by angina (12.4%) and syncope (4.7%). The factors associated with dyspnea were a higher e' ratio (p = 0.04) and peak aortic valve velocity (p = 0.01). Only the severity of AS was associated with syncope. The presence of hypertension was associated with angina (p = 0.04). Moreover, coronary angiography was performed in 59 patients before aortic valve replacement and revealed coronary stenosis (> 50% diameter stenosis) in 11/16 patients (69%) that had angina. The presence of coronary stenosis was significantly associated with angina (p = 0.02). The development of dyspnea, angina or syncope was influenced by different factors in AS. CONCLUSION: Dyspnea and syncope were mainly associated with AS severity, and diastolic dysfunction also influenced dyspnea. In contrast, angina was mainly related to the presence of coronary stenosis rather than to AS severity. These factors should be considered when, selecting a therapeutic strategy for AS patients in the modern era.

Use of pacemaker programmers for disaster victim identification.

Disaster victim identification (DVI) presents a number of physical and legal challenges, involving the degeneration of human remains and legal obstacles to forensic examinations. One non-invasive method for positive identification may be the use of a pacemaker programmer to detect and obtain data from pacemakers recovered from unidentified remains. To test the usefulness of this method, this investigation examined the efficiency and utility of 5 different pacemaker programmers in the positive identification of victims of the March 2011 tsunami in Japan at 8 disaster sites in May 2011. On scanning 148 sets of remains, data were successfully obtained from 1 implant in 1 set of remains, allowing for the rapid positive identification of the individual. Scanning pacemakers with pacemaker programmers can be a non-invasive method of positive identification that meets Japanese legal and institutional requirements, but this method is ineffective without a preceding whole-body X-ray scan.

Global longitudinal strain in relation to the severity of aortic stenosis: a two-dimensional speckle-tracking study.

BACKGROUND: Global longitudinal strain (GLS) measured by two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging (2D-STI) has been shown to be useful for assessing subtle change in left ventricular function in severe aortic stenosis (AS) patients with preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). However, there is little information about the relation between the progression of AS and changes in GLS. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relation between the severity of valve stenosis and GLS measured by 2D-STI in AS patients with normal LVEF. METHODS: We studied 113 AS patients (age, 73.3 ± 8.8 years; male, 38%; aortic valve area (AVA), 1.0 ± 0.3 cm(2); mean pressure gradient (PG), 33.8 ± 22.1 mmHg) with normal LVEF (≥50%) but without overt coronary artery disease. Patients were stratified into three groups (mild, moderate and severe AS), and the clinical characteristics and echocardiographic findings were compared among the groups. Using dedicated software, we measured GLS in the apical four-chamber view. RESULTS: LVEF was not significantly different among the three groups. However GLS showed significant differences in GLS among the three groups (mild: 17.1 ± 3.0%, moderate: 16.4 ± 3.0% and severe: 14.5 ± 3.9%, ANOVA P = 0.003). GLS was significantly correlated with AVA, mean PG, LVEF, LV mass index and early diastolic mitral annular velocity (e'). In multiple stepwise regression analysis, mean PG, LVEF and hypertension were independently associated with GLS (R(2) = 0.247, P = 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite unchanged LVEF, GLS gradually decreased as severity of AS increases. GLS measured by 2D-STI might be useful to assess subtle changes in LV function in AS patients.

Echocardiographic assessment of the effects of mitral valve repair on mitral valve geometry in rheumatic mitral stenosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: While mitral valve replacement is generally considered as the standard surgical treatment for rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS), mitral valve repair may be an alternative therapeutic option. Several techniques have been used to overcome the anatomic difficulties involved in the repair of a rheumatic mitral valve. In the present study, quantitative echocardiography was used to investigate the effects of mitral valve repair and the influence of surgical procedures on mitral valve geometry in patients with rheumatic MS. METHODS: Mitral valve repair was successfully performed in seven patients with MS, by the same surgeon. Ring annuloplasty and slicing of the anterior mitral leaflet (AML) were performed in all patients. Concomitant surgical techniques included commissurotomy, decalcification, chordal resection, and division of the papillary muscles. The preoperative and postoperative echocardiographic findings in these patients were compared. RESULTS: The thickness of both the AML and posterior mitral leaflet (PML) (p = 0.01 for both), the opening angles of the AML (p = 0.02) and PML (p = 0.01), and the closing angle of the PML, the extent of calcification in the AML, and the pressure half-time (PHT) (p = 0.03 for all three parameters) were all significantly improved after mitral valve repair. CONCLUSION: In the present study, the transmitral peak velocity and mean pressure gradient were not significantly changed after mitral valve repair, whereas the PHT showed a marked improvement. Hence, the PHT may represent a suitable marker for evaluating the efficacy of mitral valve repair for MS.

Reconsiderations of mitral stenosis: rheumatic mitral valve repair and the Wilkins score.

BACKGROUND: Mitral valve repair is a feasible treatment option in patients with rheumatic mitral valve disease, but it is not always successful. Mitral valve replacement is generally the surgical treatment of choice in such patients. We aimed to examine whether the Wilkins score can predict the feasibility of surgical repair in such patients. METHODS: Mitral valve surgery was performed on 14 patients by the same surgeon (A.A.). Five patients underwent mitral valve repair (group I), and nine patients underwent mitral valve replacement (group II). The Wilkins scores were determined by assessing echocardiography findings. The selection of mitral valve repair or replacement was based on the intraoperative findings and the preferences of the same surgeon (A.A.). In group I, we performed chordal reconstruction, augmentation of the posterior leaflet, resection of chordae, decalcification of the commissure, commissurotomy, slicing of the anterior leaflet, division of the papillary muscle, and ring annuloplasty in various combinations. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to any component of the preoperative Wilkins score. There was no significant difference in the pre- and postoperative scores in group I; however, the mitral valve orifice area was significantly improved after the operation (pre- and postoperative mean values: 1.3 ± 0.3 and 2.0 ± 0.4, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Mitral valve repair is effective in treating rheumatic mitral stenosis. However, the Wilkins score may not be useful in predicting the feasibility of mitral repair.

Infective endocarditis associated with acute myocardial infarction caused by septic emboli.

A 53-year-old Japanese man presented with severe chest pain. He had suffered from persistent fever, muscle pain, arthralgia, and dyspnea on exertion (New York Heart Association class I) for two and half months prior to admission. He had been treated with several antibiotics for two months and prednisolone for almost one month prior to admission. On the day of admission, he had suffered from chest pain at rest, and had come to our hospital. Electrocardiography showed a normal sinus rhythm with significant ST segment elevation in leads V3-6 and abnormal Q waves in leads V4-6. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated left ventricular ejection fraction of 52% with severe mitral regurgitation and an 18-mm vegetation on the anterior mitral valve leaflet. Multiple blood cultures identified Streptococcus sanguis. The diagnosis was acute myocardial infarction and mitral regurgitation associated with infective endocarditis (IE). The incidence of acute coronary syndrome caused by IE is quite low in patients with native valves. After a 6-week course of antibiotics, mitral valve replacement and partial cardiomyotomy were performed. Two years after the surgery, follow-up echocardiography showed almost normal left ventricle function and no mitral regurgitation, and the patient has been living an active life without any complications.

Efficacy of left ventricular restoration with mitral valve surgery for endstage ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Patients with ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) are at an extremely high risk of death and ischemic events. This study aims to evaluate the impact of left ventricular restoration (LVR) and mitral valve surgery on the cardiac and clinical functional status of the patients with ICM. Twenty-six patients (46-80 years, mean: 64 years) with severely dilated heart (left ventricular end-systolic volume index: LVESVI > or = 100 ml/m2) who had coronary artery bypass grafting (2.8+/-1.3), mitral valve surgery, and LVR were enrolled in this study. Left ventricular end-diastolic volume index and LVESVI significantly decreased (from 169+/-44 to 130+/-41 ml/m2, P=0.0005, from 120+/-33 to 89+/-43 ml/m2, P=0.0012). Left ventricular ejection fraction showed no change. MR showed significant improvement (from 2.7+/-0.6 to 1.0+/-0.4, P<0.0001) and NYHA functional class showed improvement (from 3.2+/-0.8 to 1.5+/-0.9, P<0.0001). A 5-year survival rate was 71.2%. In conclusion, this aggressive approach with LVR aiming to treat end-stage ICM by relief of ischemia, reduction of LV wall tension by decreasing LV volume and stopping mitral leak, is effective for LV volume reduction and improvement of clinical functional status.